JAMMER v.2 (2016)

Two more Figure Subscription Service Joes arrived in the mail last week. The third shipment contained the first ever modern-era versions of Pathfinder and Calvin “Jammer” Mondale. Today I’m gonna take a look at the latter.

One of the 13 original Real American Hero (RAH) Joe figures released in 1982 was Stalker, the Joe team’s Ranger. All of the OG13 shared body parts and some of them even shared the same head but Stalker was unique because he had a wholly original head with a sculpted beret (the other guys had removable helmets). Also noteworthy is the fact that Stalker was the only African-American on the team. When that original Stalker figure was released internationally he underwent a few changes. In Mexico a figure practically identical to Stalker was renamed Cheetah, in Argentina he was released with a blue uniform and white skin and renamed Manleh. In Brazil he was called Triton and in Europe he was renamed Jammer and he was available in three paint variations; a solid green uniform, green camo, and black camo. All three versions featured a red beret instead of Stalker’s standard green one and they all had a red Z-Force logo on their chest. The various Jammer figures are highly sought after by many collectors.

UK Jammer

Jammer got his first official American G.I. Joe figure in 2010 when he was included in a Z-Force themed 3-pack released by the Collector’s Club at that year’s Joe Con. I believe the 2010 file card is the first time he was given the name Calvin Mondale and a backstory. According to the file card he grew up in New York and California before moving to the United Kingdom to join the Z-Force unit of their Special Action Force (SAF). In the spirit of the original UK figure, the 2010 Jammer was made by repainting a Stalker head with a red beret and adding the Z-Force logo to the chest of the figure. The camo pattern the Club used on his uniform was similar to Stalker’s blotchy pattern but darker and more marbleized.

2010 Jammer v.1

For this 2016 version of Jammer released as part of FSS 4.0, the Club homaged their own 2010 version. This figure’s camouflage is clearly based on the 2010 look more so than any of the UK Jammer figures. I’m glad they went that route because I think this paint job looks really bold and its visually appealing. This is my first Jammer figure and I didn’t expect to be excited about it. I was anticipating an unimaginative Stalker repaint with a red hat and a Z on his chest but this figure has surprised me. Yes, the uniform is a green camo pattern from head to toe which has always been Stalker’s thing but this pattern is different enough to stand on its own. Call me crazy but i can look at this figure and not see Stalker staring back at me. Little details like the Union Jack on his right sleeve and the SAF patch on his left individualize this figure even further.

From the neck down Jammer is made up of generic pieces we’ve seen plenty of times before but its a good solid build . His hands are a little gimpy so he can’t hold all of his accessories but otherwise the body is fine. The head is naturally a Stalker repaint. This was a brand new head sculpted by Boss Fight Studios for last year’s Tiger Force Stalker and it’s a beautifully detailed piece that features a removable beret. It makes sense that the Club would want to get more use out of this piece so I think it was a good choice to use for this figure. I like that his skin is a light mocha colour which continues to differentiate him from Stalker who has a darker complexion.

The last thing to mention would be his accessories. Jammer has a machine gun, a pistol that can be holstered on his boot, and a green cell phone that can be stored on his belt. I love his little phone but unfortunately neither of his hands can grip it.Since Jammer’s speciality is jamming insurgent communication systems he also comes with Dial-Tone’s funky communications backpack. Lastly, he comes with a silver display base just like his fellow SAF members T.N.T. and Quarrel. This figure doesn’t really bring anything new to the table but I find myself really liking it anyway. 8 out of 10.